1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automated operation list generation device, method and program for supporting generation of an automated operation list, which allows automatic execution of a plurality of operations forming a process to generate an image according to a desired purpose.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a lot of techniques for processing images have been proposed along with development of image processing techniques. Users can sequentially apply a plurality of operations according to the purpose to an image of interest with using these image processing techniques to obtain a desired result. In the medical field, in particular, it is commonly practiced before conducting imaging diagnosis to apply such operations to an image, which is taken with any of various modalities, such as a CT apparatus, a MRI apparatus and an ultrasonographic apparatus, to generate an image in which a desired body part is shown in a visually recognizable manner depending on the purpose of diagnosis.
Techniques for reducing a burden on the user to execute a plurality of operations forming a process to generate an image according to a desired purpose in an order desired by the user have been used. Such techniques involve generating an automated operation list, in which the operations forming the process are registered in a manner to allow the operations to be executed in a desired order, and causing a computer to execute the generated automated operation list.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-161032 discloses a method for causing a computer to automatically advance a plurality of operations for image analysis of the heart by storing the operations, which includes operations from setting of a search range for searching the left ventricle of the heart to the final analysis, on the computer and determining requisite minimum items to be inputted by the operator for executing the operations, thereby eliminating the need of input of other items by the operator.
In order to generate such an automated operation list, it is necessary to register the plurality of operations forming the process to generate an image according to the purpose in an accurate order. Further, it is necessary to generate the automated operation list with determining whether each operation in the automated operation list is an operation that does not require input of a processing parameter by the operator during execution of the automated operation list and thus can be automated or an operation that requires input of a processing parameter by the operator during execution of the automated operation list and thus cannot be automated.
However, the content of the operations and the determination as to whether or not each operation can be automated vary depending on the situation of the user. Therefore, if the user does not have enough knowledge about the flow of the operations forming the process according to the purpose, it is difficult to generate the automated operation list. Further, even if the user has enough knowledge about the flow of the operations, it requires troublesome input operations by the user to register each of the operations and processing parameters in the automated operation list to generate the automated operation list, and this requires significant effort and time of the user. In addition, it is difficult to generate the automated operation list for a user who does not have enough knowledge to understand the troublesome input operations for generating the automated operation list.